A New Song

About this Book

Reading Guide Questions

Please be aware that this discussion guide may contain spoilers!

The Mitford Years Book I
At Home in Mitford

What role does Barnabas play in Father Tim's life? What other characters
seem to invade Father Tim's already busy life, only later to prove enriching
elements? Are there any that are a permanent drag on his spirits? How does
Father Tim come to terms with them?

Dooley appears on the scene untamed and uninvited. What is it that finally
makes Father Tim and Dooley aware that they need each other? How does Dooley
contribute to Father Tim's life? Have you had "Dooleys" in your own
life?

Choose two of your group members to read the dialogue between Dooley and
Puny in the middle of Chapter Seven -- the scene where they first meet. How does
the dialect differ in your part of the country? Try reading a brief part of a
Dooley speech in the dialect of your own region.

Which characters did you dislike at first, only to later come to
appreciate or at least understand them? What characters in the book react that
way to someone new?

Compare Miss Sadie and Miss Rose. They are very different characters, but
both make a powerful contribution to the books. What makes them such vivid
characters? What would Mitford be like without them? What unique contributions
do they make?

Priests seldom have people they can confide in. Who are Father Tim's
confidants? What secrets does he entrust to them? What role does prayer play in
giving Father Tim a chance to truly vent his feelings?

"Mitford takes care of its own," says Mayor Cunningham. How does
this happen in the book? Is this limited only to small towns? What other types
of communities can it take place in?

The Mitford Years Book II
A Light in the Window

Why do Father Tim's deepening feelings for Cynthia frighten him so? What
are Father Tim's fears about marrying? Is it a good idea for Father Tim to marry
Cynthia? How might Father Tim's marriage to Cynthia enhance his role as a
priest? How might it detract from it?

Minor characters are an important part of the Mitford books. Can you name
four minor characters? What does one minor character contribute to the fabric of
village life in Mitford?

Many people don't like to talk about their faith. Why? Why do you think it
is socially permissible to discuss sexual behavior, income, politics, and other
highly personal matters, yet discussing one's faith is often discouraged?

Compare Miss Sadie's gift of money to build the nursing home with Edith
Mallory's promise of donations to the children's hospital. What is each looking
for in return for her gift?

Jan Karon says there are Mitfords all over the country. Do you live in
one? If so, why do you think your community is like Mitford? Is Mitford
necessarily a small town? Discuss whether it might also be a close neighborhood
in a large city.

Have you ever had company like Cousin Meg? How could Father Tim have
handled her presence in his house better? How can guests enrich your life? What
kind of strain does having guests put on your life?

The Mitford Years Book III
These High, Green Hills

How has Father Tim's marriage influenced or changed his life? How have his
relationships with Barnabas, Dooley, and Miss Sadie changed him?

Do Jan Karon's characters remind you of people you know? Have you ever
lived next door to a Mitford character? Are you kin to any of the Mitford
characters?

Faith in God is clearly a significant part of Father Tim's makeup. How
would you describe his faith? What role does prayer play in Father Tim's faith?

The Seven Virtues are: Faith, Hope, Charity, Prudence, Temperance,
Fortitude, and Justice. Choose a character that exemplifies one of these
virtues. For example, what virtue do you feel Uncle Billy exemplifies? What
about Miss Sadie? Olivia?

What did Father Tim and Cynthia learn about themselves when they were lost
in the cave? What did they learn about each other? What did Father Tim learn
about his relationship with God? How did understanding and forgiving his father
change him?

What gifts did Sadie Baxter give Dooley? Did her bequest surprise you? Why
did she choose Dooley?

The Mitford Years Book IV
Out to Canaan

In times of crisis, Father Tim and Cynthia pray "The prayer that
never fails." What prayer are they referring to? Why is it a prayer that
never fails?

Pauline's growth and redemption is a gradual, step-by-step process. Who
helps her? Where does Pauline succeed? Where does she fail?

Father Tim's home is transformed from staid bachelor quarters into a
topsy-turvy household. Lace quizzes Harley on his schoolwork in the basement,
Dooley pounds up the stairs, Puny cleans with her twins underfoot, Violet the
cat balefully eyes Barnabas from atop the refrigerator. How does Father Tim's
household compare with your own? Do Jan Karon's descriptions make you view the
chaos in your life differently?

The construction boss, Buck Leeper, is a diamond in the rough. In Out to
Canaan, what is Buck Leeper feeling? How does he view himself? How do you think
he may view others?

Note the ongoing presence of children and the elderly in the Mitford
books. How does this enhance these stories? What lessons do they teach Father
Tim?

Why does Father Tim have such trouble going to Fancy Skinner, Mitford's
unisex hairdresser, for his haircuts? Who does he press into service to cut his
hair when he is avoiding her shop? Choose one of your group members to read the
monologue by Fancy found toward the end of Chapter Five.

Do you have a Main Street Grill? What function does a place like the Grill
fill in a town? Where do you get your town news? Where are you likely to meet
friends and neighbors?

Esther Bolick's orange marmalade cake plays a role in each book. What is
the specialty in your region? What food item makes an annual event special?
Festive? What other object can fill this role?

Describe the ways in which those who come in contact with Father Tim are
changed. How does contact with others change Father Tim?

The Mitford Years Book V
A New Song

Father Tim and Cynthia's good-bye to their friends in Mitford is long and
painful. Have you experienced a similar good-bye? What have you learned that can
lessen the pain? What can be done to ease the transition?

Ernie Fulcher said the yellow line down the center of the floor of his and
Mona's building has helped save their marriage. Is having separate areas a good
idea for a couple? How might it affect customers? Friends? In what other ways do
people define their space? How do children sharing a bedroom define "my
side"?

Junior Bryson advertises for a bride. How would you write the personal ad
for Junior? Should he have been so honest about himself? How would you describe
yourself in an ad?

Father Tim met his neighbor, Morris Love, when Barnabas dove under his
fence. Father Tim was hot, angry, and feeling foolish. Have you met someone in
your life in an unusual way? How do you feel about meeting people when you don't
look your best?

What elements contributed to helping Father Tim see the suffering soul
behind Morris Love's infirmity? Have you ever had such an experience?

Should Father Tim have welcomed the wayward ex-choirmaster, Jeffrey Tolson,
back to St. John's? Should he have consulted with his parishioners or was it his
responsibility to decide? Was repentance a fair requirement?

Was it wise for Father Tim and Cynthia to take Jonathan Tolson into their
home? Did caring for a toddler help or hinder their work? Was Father Tim's
concern about Cynthia's emotional attachment warranted?

How did the storm change the landscape of Whitecap? How did it change
people's lives?

Was Helene Pringle right to come to Mitford? Was Father Tim right to give
her his angel? Whom do you think it belonged to? What was he given in its place?

How does Father Tim react to the glowing praise of Mitford's new rector?
Have you ever been in such a situation? How did you react?

The Mitford Years Book VIA Common Life

Even after his proposal, Father Tim's long struggle between his inner
fears and his love for Cynthia is not over. How does Jan Karon manage to make
him both an inspiration to all and a very down-to-earth human being? Are there
any figures like that in your life?

The flurry of competing plans-choir, cake-baking, flower arrangements,
honeymoon-threaten to take away the happy couple's control of their own wedding.
Should they have had a quieter ceremony? How would Mitford have reacted?

When Cynthia says she has no family, Hessie Mayhew tells her the whole
parish is her family. What different kinds of families exist nowadays, and how
well do you think they can substitute for the traditional one?

The Book of Common Prayer's description of marriage as "a common
life" was written centuries ago. Do you think it still applies today?

A Common Life brings together Mitford characters' memories of their
own romances and weddings, with moving incidentsor those as comical as
Cynthia's bathroom doorknob falling off at the last minute. What memories did A
Common Life awaken in you?

Unless otherwise stated, this discussion guide is reprinted with the permission of Penguin.
Any page references refer to a USA edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions.

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